Disaster Sign-up to Start Oct. 15

The Crop Disaster Program is offered as an ad hoc program to help farmers who suffered from natural disasters in the past three years.

Sep 04, 2007

If your farm has suffered losses from a natural disaster in 2005, 2006, or 2007, mark your calendar for Oct. 15. That's the day sign-up starts for the Crop Disaster Program, which is an ad hoc disaster assistance program for farmers with losses in those three years. For 2007 losses, the crop subject to payment must have been planted prior to Feb. 28.

This assistance, included in the supplemental spending bill finalized in May, was the result of work by key commodity groups and other ag organizations for members who suffered losses for drought, floods, fires and freezes in recent seasons.

To be eligible, producers must have carried crop insurance, and can only apply for program assistance for one of the three years. The Oct. 15 start date applies only to quantity losses. USDA has indicated that sign-up for quality losses will occur in the future.